I came across an article over at BBC.co.uk stating that web users are becoming more selfish. They're spending less time on websites, and using direct links mostly through search engines to access data.

Basically, what it's trying to say is that people in general are spending less time looking for what they want. I don't understand how this is "selfish." The web is a developing platform where infinite amounts of data can be stored and accessed by virtually anyone. Last time I checked, searching and getting info quickly was as normal as anything else.

There's a misclassification with the term "web user," and I believe it's being used too broadly. A user can jump on a computer and quickly look up something about the second world war and be done in 45 seconds. This same user may have a list of websites that he/she visits often for much longer periods of times. One cannot say that people who use the web are getting more selfish. "Savvy" is a word I prefer to call it. More after the jump...

Throughout the years, the ability to access data quickly on the internet has improved, and still has a long way ahead. There are thousands of websites and blogs that people visit and subscribe to every day. Websites based on specific interests such as video games, technology, productivity, and travel are the types of sites people go to and hang around. These websites are designed to provide a sense of community where a user would feel at home when visiting.

Everybody searches for quick info, and nowadays, an increased amount of people are finding the benefits of online communities on websites that cover a topic of interest. As internet access becomes more standard, so will the methods that people use to find what they're looking for, whether it's a quick fact or a place to hang around and meet new people. Wikipedia, for example, has turned into an encyclopedia phenomenon.

So, are "web users" getting more selfish because we can use the internet as a quick resource tool? I don't think so. We've pretty much reached a point where we are able to retrieve the info we need, and be in complete control of the websites we associate ourselves with.